US President Donald Trump on Wednesday had tea with a former jihadist who until recently had a $10 million US bounty on his head.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have announced that they will settle Syria’s debt to the World Bank totalling roughly $15m, according to a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency, in the latest effort to help reverse the economic fortunes of a nation beset by years of war.

But the country must also modernise monetary policy, rewire banking and reconnect with global markets, argues Abdulkader Husrieh

Turkish companies and banks will benefit from a lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria, Onur Genc, chief executive officer of financial group BBVA said on Wednesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the first such encounter between the leaders of those two countries in 25 years.

Syria’s president has flown to Bahrain, where he discussed mutual relations and regional affairs with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on his latest trip abroad since taking office in January